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Why Byron Will Be OK

Everyone seems focused on wanting Byron to be as good as Ben. But he doesn't have to be for us to win. He just has to be better than the QBs we're playing against.

Here's the murderers row coming up on our schedule:

Flacco
Weeden
Flacco
Rivers
Romo
Dalton
Weeden

I'd say Byron's just as good as any of those guys. Should be good enough to win out.

The schedule looks pretty easy, even with Byron. The best part is everyone else is going to have to step up and play their best with Ben down. It's gonna make us sharp, focused, and deadly come playoff time.

Sorry but the only QB in that list that Byron might be as good as is Weeden. Otherwise, all the others are better than him and some are far better than him.

None of those games are gimme's with Ben. With Byron, we have to hope our run game stays very solid and our D holds all of them to low scores.

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I can't be too encouraged as I look at that stretch of games minus Ben. I don't think our run game is strong enough to carry the offense (particularly when opponents can key on stopping the run), and I think our current D is best suited to complement an offense that maintains a long T.O.P.. If this defense is forced to be out on the field a lot, it could get pretty ugly.

This thread is funny. I've been watching football for almost 40 years and have never seen two QBs step on the field together to face off one-on-one. Byron has to be able to direct the Steelers offense against the other team's D. Romo, Rivers et al have to direct their offenses against the Steelers D. Of all of the matchups there will be, nowhere is it a challenge of QB vs. QB. If football was always about a head to head matchups between QBs there would be more undefeated teams in the history of the league.

Sorry but the only QB in that list that Byron might be as good as is Weeden. Otherwise, all the others are better than him and some are far better than him.

None of those games are gimme's with Ben. With Byron, we have to hope our run game stays very solid and our D holds all of them to low scores.

Hopefully the team will really rally in support of injured Ben and backup Byron or it could get really ugly, quick.

You're giving Rivers, Romo and Dalton credit for talent that they haven't shown consistently enough, although I agree that Leftwich isn't better than them, he's only a step below and if he protects the ball and makes 5-8 plays per game the Steelers will win 4 games out of the next 7 and that makes it tough for teams that are two games down in the loss column to catch the Steelers. Three of the four teams behind the Steelers would have to go 6-1 and one of them would have to 6-0 to get to 10 wins.

Flacco is better and Weeden definitely isn't and we play him twice. I'll count on Romo, Rivers and Dalton to hand the game to the Steelers with mistakes as they have for the most part in the past. Dalton is probably the best of the three IMO at this point. Rivers is a numbers quarterback (a lot yards, not enough wins) and Romo makes mistakes in almost every game (when he doesn't he's very good, that's rare).

There's 4 wins to be had in the final 7 games without Ben and the Steelers are good enough to get them.

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I can't be too encouraged as I look at that stretch of games minus Ben. I don't think our run game is strong enough to carry the offense (particularly when opponents can key on stopping the run), and I think our current D is best suited to complement an offense that maintains a long T.O.P.. If this defense is forced to be out on the field a lot, it could get pretty ugly.

Hope I'm wrong.

I do too. So I have no choice but to emphasize some positives. One thing is for sure Leftwich can fire the pellota?. There are probably very few if any that have a bigger arm then Byron Leftwich. And as Joe Starkey, the Tribune writer pointed out today, BL can "pitch from the stretch" when needed. This was in reference to the windup on the deeper throws.

It will be interesting to see how well the quick pitch, timing pass game[nobody can spell that R-word], checkdown, nickelanddime game[my favorite], or as some seem to prefer dink and dunk works out.

Some of us have seen really very little of BL. But one thing I always noticed was I don't think I have ever seen a QB that opposing D's seem to want to batter and blast more. I would bet that if the mf did not also head butt him in the KC game no penalty would have been called. Even the few times I saw a game when he was in Jax the same thing. Was this out of fear of his arm?? Many of the hits were dangerously close to penalties too but rarely called.

No doubt, as BHD pointed out, a super effort from the run game and the D is going to be needed.[ST too] But, it is very possible that plenty of damage will be done with the air game.

The temperature Sunday is expected to be mild and in the 50's. Generally clear [sunny] but with the possibility of rain. Rain we can do without. Had enough Monday night.